ROURKELA: Ban on ferry services in Sundargarh district has virtually made the people of riverside villages immovable in three sub-divisions.
Around 14 lakh people in the far-flung areas of three sub-divisions remain cut off from rest of the world during monsoon as water level of rivers Brahmani, Koel and Sankh increases. As the roads are submerged by flood water and bamboo bridges are washed away, country boats serve as their only means of transportation.
Following the Hirakud boat tragedy in February, the Government imposed restrictions on boats carrying people in view of safety concerns. Since the boat owners could not follow the guidelines of the Government due to various reasons, they stopped the services.
Sources said bamboo bridges during dry season and small boats during monsoon are the only shortest means to cross the three rivers at 45 strategic locations. At least half a dozen bridge projects in the area are either moving at a snail’s pace or have not moved beyond files.
Social activist Birabar Singh of Kuanrmunda block, who is also affected by discontinuation of ferry services, said the State Government was caught napping until the Hirakud boat tragedy took place. Soon after, it banned ferry services without giving a thought to the suffering it would bring to the people depending on it.
According to sources in the District Emergency Office (DEO), there are five ferry ghats along rivers Ib and Sankh in Sundargarh sub-division. The people cross river Sankh to go to Rajgangpur block on the other side. Similarly, there are 18 ghats in Panposh sub-division on the banks of rivers Koel and Brahmani, while Bonai sub-division has 13 ghats beside river Brahmani.
Meanwhile, enforcement of Odisha Boat Rules 2004 without any prior effort to educate ferry owners about the cumbersome legal provisions has come as a handicap for the owners. In order to obtain the licence, the country boat owners, most of whom are illiterate, will now have to travel all the way to Bhadrak where it is issued by the office of Directorate of Ports and Inland Water Transport.
Sundargarh ADM RN Mishra, acting nodal officer, said after technical training, all 17 BDOs have been entrusted to enforce the safety norms as the administration is committed to prevent any more tragedy.
Admitting that the ban is causing inconvenience to the rural people, Sundargarh Collector Bhupendra Singh Poonia said, “The administration is working to tide over the problem shortly.”